(Rockville, MD - June 19, 2008) The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) is once again among an elite group of Maryland organizations and businesses that will receive two separate workplace awards from the Alliance for Workplace Excellence, the Health and Wellness Trailblazer Award and the Workplace Excellence Seal of Approval for 2008.
Over the years, ASHA has repeatedly won awards from the Alliance. The Workplace Excellence Award has been given to the Association in consecutive years since the award's inception in 1999. In addition, the Health and Wellness Trailblazer Award has been won by ASHA since it was first introduced in 2006.
This year, award winners will be honored today during a ceremony at the Bethesda North Marriott Convention Center. More than 600 business executives from the Greater Washington area are expected to attend the event which will recognize 62 winners of the 2008 Workplace Excellence Award. Out of those 62 organizations, 19 will be recognized as winners of the Health and Wellness Trailblazer Award.
"ASHA is deeply honored to be among the organizations and businesses which will receive both awards," ASHA Executive Director Arlene Pietranton says. "We are absolutely thrilled with this recognition."
A Montgomery County-based coalition of public, private, and non-profit organizations, the Alliance promotes workplace excellence as a competitive advantage.
Now in its third year, the Health and Wellness Trailblazer Award, a partnership of the Alliance for Workplace Excellence and the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce, recognizes employers who demonstrate an exemplary commitment to the overall physical and mental health of their workforce. Award winners "are committed to providing balanced leadership through inclusive and flexible corporate culture and management practices," the Alliance says.
"Contributing to the well-being of ASHA's employees is a key goal of our association," Pietranton notes. "Our mission is to serve ASHA's members and having healthy, satisfied and productive employees helps us do that more effectively."
According to the Alliance, an independent review panel chose the winners based on criteria such as strong health and wellness practices and programs; growth and learning opportunities, and, commitment to corporate, social and civic responsibility.
ASHA will be profiled in the Alliance's annual Health and Wellness Trailblazer Report, which goes out to Maryland employers with information about best practices.
ASHA is the national professional, scientific, and credentialing association for more than 130,000 audiologists, speech-language pathologists, and speech, language, and hearing scientists.
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